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CHAPTER ONE

SADIE SULLIVAN BLINKED into the sunshine and waved goodbye to the rental car pulling away from the Azure Hotel If she squinted, she could just ainst the rear , and his little hand waving back Her father, in the driver’s seat, was obviously concentrating on the road, but Sadie spotted the glint of her mother’s ash-blonde hair beside Finn, and knew she’d be holding hi sure his seat belt was secure

He was in good hands She had to re separated from her little boy

The car turned the last corner at the end of the drive and disappeared out of sight, behind the row of juniper trees, onto the road that led up the coast then back inland towards the main roads and Izmir airport Sadie sucked in a deep breath and wiped the back of her hand across her eyes, quickly, in case anyone atching The last thing she needed right noas talk about the boss breaking down in tears Professionalism, that was the key

‘It’s one week, Sullivan,’ she muttered to herself ‘Get over yourself In seven days you’ll be in England with hi him back Enjoy the peace until then’

Except next tier A whole term, even And what if he didn’t want to co about that Whatever her father said about British schools, about having family around, Finn’s place ith her The local schools were great, and Finn’s Turkish was really co He’d be fine

She sed, and stepped back into the coolness of the Azure lobby Even in late September Kusadasi still enjoyed the warmth of the Turkish cli on sweaters andabout the chill in the air—while she, and the few re tourists in town at the end of the season, would still be down at the beach, enjoying the sun

This time next year Finn would have started school The only question left to answer definitively here?

‘Did Finn and your parents leave for the airport okay?’ Es red nails still resting on her keyboard

Sadie nodded, not trusting herself to speak just yet

‘He’s so excited about having a holiday with his grandparents,’ Sadie’s second in co is just perfect, too’

Sadie kept nodding Then she blinked ‘It is?’

Esma tilted her head to study her, and Sadie tried to pull herself into her best boss posture and expression She had the suit, the hair, the s she usually hid behind when she didn’t quite knohat to do That ar on his ridiculously ambitious business project that she didn’t have the first clue about Why on earth would it fail her now, at the prospect of a mere ithout her son?

It obviously worked, because Esed and pushed the work diary across the reception desk towards her

‘I justthis week Without Finn to worry about, you will havehim over, yes?’

‘Yes, of course,’ Sadie responded autom

atically, her eyes fixed on the red letters spelling ‘Investor Visit’ written across the next five days How could she have forgotten?

Her priority for the week The only thing she had time to worry about, at all, was this investor and all his lovely money

She hadn’t wanted to resort to outside help, but things were getting beyond desperate, even if only she and Neal knew the true extent of the Azure’s problems When their hunt for local investors had failed, Neal had suggested seeking investment from abroad—with similar results But he’d had a last-chance possibility at the ready when she’d asked where on earth they went next A business acquaintance, he’d said, who had interests in the hotel industry, and h to send an employee over to check out the Azure

Sadie had been doubtful, but she was also running out of options She trusted Neal—he was more than her accountant, he had been one of her late husband Adem’s best friends And she had no doubt that Neal would have asked his acquaintance to go easy on her Everyone always did

She’s aThey always shook their head sadly as they said the word ‘’ Lost her husband in a car crash, tragically young

These days, that was often the only thing people knew about her at all Well, that and the fact that she was saddled with a white elephant of a hotel renovation that

Sadie was almost sure there used to be more to know about her once

Behind the reception desk Esma’s eyes ide and worried, so Sadie reinforced her ‘in control of everything’ sativity She loved the Azure, just like Adem had, and just like Finn did It was her home, and she would make it a success—one way or another

She’d made pro them

She justthe way

‘Did Neal call with the na over yet?’ Sadie asked ‘And we have a car collecting him from the airport, correct?’

‘Yes, at four o’clock,’ Esma confirmed ‘I sent Alim’

‘Good’ Alireat—far better than her Turkish, even after four years of living in the country and working hard to learn Finn was a much quicker study than her, it turned out

And just like that, she’d forgotten all her business worries again and was back to fretting about her son Part of being a mother, she supposed

She checked her watch It was already gone five

‘Has Alim texted to say they’re on their way?’ Sadie asked

‘Alo They should be here any moment’ Esma bit her lip ‘It will all be fine, Sadie,’ she added after a moment But it sounded more like a question than reassurance

Sadie smiled broadly ‘Of course it will! I’ occurred to her Esma had only answered half her question ‘And the na would it be to greet this guy with no idea what to call him?

Behind the desk, Es an irrelevant stack of papers between her hands, her gaze fixed fir heavy settled in Sadie’s stouilt about Finn being away all week Soht how on earth she would achieve everything she’d promised her husband and son